Community Leadership Program
Five years ago, neighborhood associations in Central San Jose identified developing the next generation of neighborhood leaders as a critical need. The situation is particularly acte in the Spanish-speaking community. As the second most spoken language in the country, California alone is home to 31 million Spanish speakers or 25% of the state’s population. The Community Leadership Program recruits and trains emerging Spanish-speaking leades to develop practical, community-based research skills. Ultimately, they will be able to transform community concerns and priorities into actionable ideas. Participants take on topics that are deeply personal to them and
their social networks, which can include their immediate neighbors or a group of people who share similar interest in a particular issue. This year, the group’s work centered around immigration, women and children’s rights, domestic violence, foster youth, children with special needs, public safety, and parent education.
Throughout the eight week course, participants apply the skills and theories to organize community diálogos (diaglogues). The group records and analyzes data collected and gives a public presentation on their findings to sector experts who offer insight on next steps on issue advocacy.
Project Impacts
100% of emerging community leaders now believe their voice is important in creating community solutions
80% of emerging community leaders developed the ability to create a plan to find solutions to community problems
90% of program participants found the necessary resources to confront problems in their community
Students Engaged
Residents Engaged
Hours of Student Service
Value
Faculty Lead
Carolina Prado (Environmental Studies)